yes a legend... my Uncle Chuck ( Charles Kamanski) was also a B-26 Marauder pilot in WWII and was shot down on a bombing run and had to bail out over the Mediterranean. Both your grandfather and my Uncle were truly from the "Greatest Generation"
A warrior and his steed, reunited after 70 years. Men who didn't have a mean bone in their bodies, because of aggression of some countries, were asked to fire shots in anger. Those men and women gave the bloom of their youth to that cause. They have my undying respect and admiration. I would hope the Lord has a reserved spot for such great Americans when in the fullness of time, they are called home.
WW2 vets are all so humble. He was saying the letters from the children made him feel like a hero. He IS a hero! 100 years from now future generations will be learning about our country and the sacrifices made, and its all thanks to people like this. They are all heroes that will last eternally.
Speaking as a Brit who wasn’t even around in the war I salute this warrior and gentleman. Those brave aviators of RAF Bomber Command and the 8th & 9th USAAF we’re a breed apart. How we could use such men today. True heroes.
A story beautifully told. A piece of history so wonderfully recorded. Mr Wasowicz is an amazing gentleman - so sharp for his age - with the ability to share this 70 year old piece of history with all of us. Thank you Mr Wasowicz for your service. Thank you for sharing your story. You are my hero.
Who the hell doesn't like this!!😡 this really brought a tear to my eyes 😢well deserved good for him👍we owe to this guys, if it wasn't for them who knows where we've be!!!
Thanks for sharing the film and tale with us all. My father, too, had his B-26 shot out from under him on 22 August 1943--a date our family has always remembered. My father bailed out through the burning bomb bay as all the hydraulics were shot up and nothing would open. Only the bomb bay doors were still open from the bomb run. Different from Barney's experience, my father was fortunate to have hidden quickly in a nearby stand of trees, and then was aided by the French Underground. After recovering from his burns in a farmhouse in Èvreux, France for several months, he began the long complex trek with the Underground, up to Quimper to attempt a sea escape to the North, into Paris, and eventually, walking over the Pyrenees Mountains three times until he made contact with his handlers in Spain. He was returned to England in early February 1944, over 5 months on the run. Sadly, dad's aircraft commander (Wilma T. Caldwell) went down with the plane that day, blowing up into three large pieces a mere 4-6 seconds after he bailed out. Three other also got out--tail gunner Ed Sharp, and the top turret gunner, and waist gunner. Wilma received the DSM for sacrificing his life for his fellow crew members. Dad's top turret gunner and radio operator got picked up by the Germans when they shook down a train existing France for Spain. Ed Sharp, like Barney, didn't have many options. He landed roughly in the middle of a Panzer field headquarters, and was eventually taken to Frankfurt for interrogation and internment. I think my dad (2LT Andy Lindsay) was the only one from that aircraft, "Payoff," to have ever gotten back to England. Luck was a bit part of flying in that war. I'll be remember Barney's service, and my dad's shoot down day this coming August 22, 2018--75 years since that day. Regards to the Martin Marauders, and the men who flew and maintained them. Thanks, too, to Billie Boyd, waist gunner of "The Bad Penny" for ruining the day of the FW-190 pilot that, along with flak, took down "Payoff." /s/Maj Dan Lindsay, USAF-Ret. Painting: www.aviationarthangar.com/avarthapabyd1.html
In my life, I have had the honor and privilege to meet many real, honest-to-God heros. On thing that every one of them has had in common was that not one of them would acknowledge that he was a hero. Every one of them would tell you that he (or she) was just doing his job and the real hero was the guy next to him. Barney is exactly that kind of man. A true hero.
To a man (and woman) I have yet to hear a greatest generation vet say they were a hero. In fact they always insist that they were just normal people doing a job. It is a testament to their character that after the war they rejoined the world and went on with their lives. For many, machines such as this represent their youth; both the adventure and the sacrifice. To paraphrase the title of the old movie, they were "The best years of their lives". A thanks to all who served and sacrificed.
A person like me can truly appreciate this video as my family has served this great nation since the days of the Revolutionary War and in all 5 branches of our military. If any Americans watch this and share a similar legacy of service they to can understand how much our veterans mean to our country. I also ask that there be no more dislikes to this amazing veteran's story and to this video!
Mr. Wasowicz, nothing said now can express the gratitude of this Nation for your Service as a Pilot, and the sacrifice as a POW. You, your Crew and all the Men and Women that served at that time, more than lived up to the name, The Greatest Generation. THANK YOU, Sir!!!
My uncle James, my Mom's youngest brother, died while learning to fly the then "Widower Maker" at the air station in Pensacola. His cousin, Shannon (my cousin too), who was stringing wire on telephone poles saw the plane go down. Shannon personally recalled his immediate thought to me as he watched the plane crash: "That poor sap," Shannon said. Later he learned it was his cousin, James who perished. Thankfully, the plane was re-designed/beefed up, and went on to earn it's rightful place in aviation history. God bless you Uncle James. Wish I had a chance to get to know you.
My cousin James Glattly went down in a B-26 at McDill Airfield also. One a day in Tampa Bay they said. As so many died learing to fly that thing. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Seriously?? Americans always get a hard dick when someone uses the word hero and in the US everything is a hero. It's hilarious really. And never does a US soldier tell the true story about how US troops left heavily outnumbered coalition forces to fend for themselves and raced away as hard as they could, because they were a bunch of fucking pussys. Hero's.. are you kidding me?
The B26 was nicknamed "The widow maker" by ground and aircrew alike. I always thought that was because it made lots of Axis women into widows. It turns out that the truth is a lot more macabre. The reason for the nickname was because of the number of allied aircrew that died flying in them.The B26 had a very high wing load in order to fit the massive radial engines that powered it. The result of this was that the only factor that kept the plane flying was its fast speed. If a pilot throttled down the engines (in order to land for instance) the B26 immediately turned into a brick. She was very unforgiving in that respect and the accident rate in it's early career was horrendous. B26 pilots were eventually put on a special course in order to learn how to avoid accidents. Example of which was to land very fast and avoid certain turns while in the air. Once trained, the survival rate of the crews improved to the point that it became one of the more survivable aircraft in the allied air force.
MrOrmesby i live near the old former Glenn L Martin factory where these were built, they have a museum now and they had another former B26 pilot there visiting and i got to talk to him, he said they were extremely dangerous to land do to their design they had to touch down at over 150mph, they had a high stall speed as you know he told me he once stalled above the runway and shoved the landing gear spars right thru the wings, and he laughed about it
The crash rate in the early days was horrific. After replacing engines and increasing span of the wings，the flying properties B-26 were greatly improved，and squadron using B-26 had very low combat loss rate in the European theatre
Seeing this as a disabled veteran, an army corps of engineers veteran, reminds me of the very inspiration I got to join the military. God bless your soul sir! I only wish my grandfather could have re-boarded his Fletcher class destroyer as you re-boarded your girl-You Outstanding and Exemplary Men and Women who had fought the utterly unknown impossibility of non-technological warfare(when war was war)and still make it back home able to wear that smile and share this glimpse in time should be a lesson for us all In these trying times.God bless you, and all of the other veterans out there who paved the road for all of us and our freedom’s! God bless America and God speed
I have never had the privilage to see a WW2 aircraft.I have done research on US Bases in my country and I discovered that a B 26 had crash in the sea near Rocky Point about 20 miles from my home town.I made an attemp to find it but a piece of it was found in 30 ft of waterby a diver.I still have it in my possession.Thank you Barney for sharing.Great story
I hope you one day get the opportunity to see them in person, because there is no real comparison to the real McCoy. These planes are and will forever be (inter)national treasures, and the unique sounds they all make are glorious.
Greatest respect to this man. Not only did he survive 16 months as a PoW, No, he even gets on the plane that if you think about it brought him in the situation and remembers the callsign and smiles. I pull my hat off in front of this man
Thank you Garden Aviation for a remarkable and heart warming story..and thank you sir..for your service, courage, and sacrifice...I salute you honorably.
Great story Mr. Wasowicz and a wonderful delivery of it.! I saw it all happening in my mind as you described it, like reading a book. Thank you for your service Sir to the USA, in an endeavor that brought peace and freedom to hundreds of millions!
How proud would you be to call this Man Dad or Granfather. Humble and respectfull only thinking of his fellow POw 's Were would we be wothout men like him. Thank you seems so petty and small a thing to say for what that generation endured. Nothing but respect and admiration for Him. God bless them all Lest we forget.
This was a real tear jerker for me to watch. I will be 66 in June 2019 and my Father would have been 101. Dad was a radio operator in a Martin B-26 Maurader called "The Dusty Devil". Dad was also a waist gunner of the twin 50 Calibur machine guns when needed. He talked alot about this aircraft. He told me as a young man that the pilot took the plane fully loaded down next to the runway at 40 MPH only to the beginning of the runway to turn the bomber at that speed to turn around careful not to lose speed to go full throttle as far as He could go and then pull back on the yoke and go airborne. What a thrill that might have been. Jimmy Dolittle was not afraid of this aircraft and He gave a demonstration of this plane by taking off and cutting one engine off on take off and doing a 360' degree turn around the airfield to yet land that B-26 . He encouraged over 100 pilots that day to fly that bomber. I just happened to see this by God,s Providence and I thank this organisation for this timely production. God bless all of you.
Great story. Nice to see Mr. Wasowizc reunited with a B-26 aircraft. We need to see more videos like this which honour these old veterans. They're not many left. Thanks for sharing.
Sir you were the finest your generated produced, your generation was the greatest generation, you saved MY world. If not for your sacrifice I and my generation would not have these freedoms you died to give us. You are a hero Thank you for all you did.
Thank you for your service sir. What an honor to have heard this story. And I am so happy to hear that we’re reunited with your aircraft that had to be a tremendous feeling you cannot describe to anyone. I salute you and I thank you once again.
We owe these WW2 vets SO much!!....Truly the Finest Generation of Americans....I salute you all...living and gone...Salute!!...My Mom built b25s, b26s, and B29s for Glenn Martin...also incendiary bombs...them hexagonal shaped ones
Barney's story was so moving. Thank you for sharing this. My father in law was a tail gunner in WW II as a tail gunner in a Marauder. His stories could fill a book. I want to get into one of these Marauders and especially see the tail gunner section. I want to see the view he had to go with so many stories he shared. So glad there's a least one of these planes being kept safe.
Mr. Wasowicz, YOU ARE TRULY A HERO IN MY EYES. YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY WHEN MEN WERE MEN, NOT THE SCOUT TROOPS OF TODAY IN MANY CASES. GOD BLESS YOU SIR AND YOUR FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICES. AS A MARINE, LET ME SAY SEMPER FIDELIS SIR!!
Seeing this brought many tears to my eyes. My Uncle Victor Galvan Corona, age 22, was Mia along with the crew of their B26 over N. Korea on July 22, 1952. I was last of his ( nephews age 6) to see him alive at Lowry AFB in Colorado in the winter of 1952. I remember my Uncle taking me on a cold wintry afternoon to see the flight line of the B 26 bombers. What a sight to behold and always cherish. He and his crew are still MIA/KIA, after 64 years.With the help of the USAF, Dept, of Defense and DPAA, progress moves ahead in identifying remains and excavations efforts in North Korea, will hopefully resume again in 2017. I will always be eternally grateful to all of our war veterans that served our country and so many that gave their lives in the defense of America and freedom. Thank you Mr. Barney Wasowicz. God bless you and your family.
I live just a 25min car drive from Fantasy of Flight. I have several pictures of this B-26 and the rest of the collection there. I am an aviation fan to the bone. I served in the US Army '96-'03 as an Army Aviator working on helicopters. I have been out for more years than I was in now, and when I see a video like this, I tear up, because I understand what he is saying when he said, "It's been 71 years since I was last in the cockpit but it was just like being home". I don't claim to have done anything great while I was in but, I did enjoy my time unlike a good many others. I miss the aircraft, I miss the people but, I don't miss the Army. I applaud the effort of this organization to reunite this member of the "Greatest Generation" with another of his mounts. Thank you for your service sir, I hope you are still alive at the time of this post, however, I, feel you may have already flown west, and if so, God speed, calm air, and blue skies.
Thank you Sir! I'm so happy you got to be reacquainted with the B-26 again. We can only imagine the feelings and memories of being reunited with the great plane that you flew in combat. A special bond that few can appreciate. What an incredible video and thanks to everyone that made it possible.
I feel so very blessed to have been born in such a great nation that has had men like Mr. Wasowicz that have been so willing to make her that way. God bless all the brave men and women both past and present that served in the United States Military. You are loved and appreciated for your service and sacrifice and will never be forgotten.
These guys had such balls, and when they say "dont call me a hero" its not just them being humble. I have no doubt that they're sincere and dont look at themselves as such, just as doing what had to be done.
GOD BLESS Barney for all we endured. Happy to see the smile on his face when he saw his old girl. Congrats to everyone who helped make this dream come alive for this man.
Damn right of you to honor these few remaining vets who really were heroes for what they had to do to defeat tyranny. It should be inspiration for the rest of us to work to protect our democracy from enemies, foreign and domestic.
That was nice to hear from someone who flew in World War ll. Soon there will be only a few left. Think the young children should learn about our countries history from a real hero.
A Pilot & His Home In The Air.......(Salute) Sir thank you for defending this great nation and coming home....if those wings could talk the stories she could tell ...
a real hero.... it is of the utmost importance that we teach our new generation of these men and what they did for this world. they are fading fast: take the time to speak with them, take the time to learn from them. God bless you all.
I have been to Fantasy of Flight and remember the B-26, among others. I didn't realize it is the only one left intact in the country. Kermit and crew do a fantastic job. Especially, thank you, Mr. Wasowicz.
This was an extremely positive and powerful video that was clearly professionally produced. I am a cinematographer, aerial videographer, Aeronautical Scientist, and a Veteran of the USAF/KY Air National Guard. I am so pleased that you not only shared this video with us, but that you invested the time to make sure the events/flights took place. It was respectful to all Veterans that you told the stories detailed in this illuminating video. I appreciated the good sound quality, the thoughtful and appropriate music, and it absolutely leave the audience with tears in our eyes and warmth in our heart that you make sure to honor this Veteran. Best wishes, Hon. Brennan James Callan, Col.
Great vid!! You are so nice to bring some joy to these men. So many of these great gentlemen leaving us these days. Just buried my friend. B-17 pilot, 8th AAF. 30 missions over Nazi Germany. He also served in Korea and Viet Nam. My dad (93 years old) is still with us. B-29 Flight Engineer Pacific Theater. We all owe so much to these (and all who serve) brave men on women!
It's a beautiful thing those folks did for him! God bless you all involved. Barney, God bless you sir and thank you for your service to this One Nation under God!
You guys are tremendous to do that for an old vet who gave so much for his country. He gave his todays for our tomorrows. Thumbs up. He can die a happy man!
This brought me to tears. God bless all who did this for one of the greatest generation. My father was one, and I lost him in 1989... I miss him so very much.
My respects to the people who can show their respect for their elders, who lived so many harsh things, none of us have any idea about what terrible experiences they were. What a great video.
This was beautiful. Thank you to Guidance Aviation for doing such an honorable thing. My Dad was a radio operator and belly gunner in a b26. He left this world 25 years ago, but watching this made it feel like a reunion of sorts. It would've been nice to see this plane with him, but perhaps I'll have to make the trip down from Pennsylvania to see it. Watching this was emotional for me so I can't even imagine how incredible it would be to see it in person. Thanks again for sharing this and for the beautiful gesture to one of America's finest!
He may not feel like a hero, but that is exactly what he and others of his generation who fought in WW2, giving us the world we live in today are. They are all heros to me. God bless him and the others who did or did not make it.
It warms my heart to watch these videos, it reminds me that there are a lot of great and caring people out there. I wish I was in a position to contribute and help. I have a special love for veterans be they Aussie's, Yanks, Kiwis or Poms.
I love to hear people doing this for vets. The stories are priceless. Unfortunately my great grandpa didn't tell any stories of the war but i still feel like there are people who still remember them and it makes me want to find people that know them to hear their side of the story.
Awesome gesture to treat a hero to an opportunity to go back and touch the past. So amazing and emotional, this is what this country is all about. I wish people could feel the pride I felt when i saw this man and this machine, representatives of our great nation who were willing to give all for freedom. God bless, him the men who made the trip possible and the United States of America Thanks for sharing.
Old men are just young guys with old bodies. What a great young old man!
you are a cool person
"They almost made me feel like I was a hero..."
You are exactly that, Sir. A HERO in the truest sense of the word. Thank you.
That’s my grandfather 😊 absolute legend
yes a legend... my Uncle Chuck ( Charles Kamanski) was also a B-26 Marauder pilot in WWII and was shot down on a bombing run and had to bail out over the Mediterranean. Both your grandfather and my Uncle were truly from the "Greatest Generation"
I hope we never forget our honoured grandfathers and what they fought against, and what they fought for.
A warrior and his steed, reunited after 70 years.
Men who didn't have a mean bone in their bodies, because of aggression of some countries, were asked to fire shots in anger. Those men and women gave the bloom of their youth to that cause.
They have my undying respect and admiration.
I would hope the Lord has a reserved spot for such great Americans when in the fullness of time,
they are called home.
Amen
Well said!
WW2 vets are all so humble. He was saying the letters from the children made him feel like a hero. He IS a hero! 100 years from now future generations will be learning about our country and the sacrifices made, and its all thanks to people like this. They are all heroes that will last eternally.
What an awesome example of a human being
Speaking as a Brit who wasn’t even around in the war I salute this warrior and gentleman. Those brave aviators of RAF Bomber Command and the 8th & 9th USAAF
we’re a breed apart. How we could use such men today. True heroes.
18 missions. Shot down. Lived to tell about it.
Hero
Mr. Wasowicz, thank you for your service to this Nation.
Guidance Aviation. Well done...
He passed away September 17, 2019. :( We're running out rapidly. :(
A story beautifully told. A piece of history so wonderfully recorded. Mr Wasowicz is an amazing gentleman - so sharp for his age - with the ability to share this 70 year old piece of history with all of us. Thank you Mr Wasowicz for your service. Thank you for sharing your story. You are my hero.
Just imagine the memories going through his mind.
There is no amount of time or Money that can truly repay the debt we owe Men like Barney, but to make him smile like that was a start!
Who the hell doesn't like this!!😡 this really brought a tear to my eyes 😢well deserved good for him👍we owe to this guys, if it wasn't for them who knows where we've be!!!
It's very easy to accidentally hit the down button next to reply or just above view replies. Obviously, all those are accidental downvotes.
Men and women from Mr.Wasowicz were truly the greatest generation.
What a lovely old chap.
Thanks for sharing the film and tale with us all. My father, too, had his B-26 shot out from under him on 22 August 1943--a date our family has always remembered. My father bailed out through the burning bomb bay as all the hydraulics were shot up and nothing would open. Only the bomb bay doors were still open from the bomb run. Different from Barney's experience, my father was fortunate to have hidden quickly in a nearby stand of trees, and then was aided by the French Underground. After recovering from his burns in a farmhouse in Èvreux, France for several months, he began the long complex trek with the Underground, up to Quimper to attempt a sea escape to the North, into Paris, and eventually, walking over the Pyrenees Mountains three times until he made contact with his handlers in Spain. He was returned to England in early February 1944, over 5 months on the run. Sadly, dad's aircraft commander (Wilma T. Caldwell) went down with the plane that day, blowing up into three large pieces a mere 4-6 seconds after he bailed out. Three other also got out--tail gunner Ed Sharp, and the top turret gunner, and waist gunner. Wilma received the DSM for sacrificing his life for his fellow crew members. Dad's top turret gunner and radio operator got picked up by the Germans when they shook down a train existing France for Spain. Ed Sharp, like Barney, didn't have many options. He landed roughly in the middle of a Panzer field headquarters, and was eventually taken to Frankfurt for interrogation and internment. I think my dad (2LT Andy Lindsay) was the only one from that aircraft, "Payoff," to have ever gotten back to England. Luck was a bit part of flying in that war. I'll be remember Barney's service, and my dad's shoot down day this coming August 22, 2018--75 years since that day. Regards to the Martin Marauders, and the men who flew and maintained them. Thanks, too, to Billie Boyd, waist gunner of "The Bad Penny" for ruining the day of the FW-190 pilot that, along with flak, took down "Payoff." /s/Maj Dan Lindsay, USAF-Ret. Painting: www.aviationarthangar.com/avarthapabyd1.html
In my life, I have had the honor and privilege to meet many real, honest-to-God heros. On thing that every one of them has had in common was that not one of them would acknowledge that he was a hero. Every one of them would tell you that he (or she) was just doing his job and the real hero was the guy next to him. Barney is exactly that kind of man. A true hero.
That is so awesome. My dad flew 28 missions in the marauder and it brought him home safely each time. I have a soft spot in my heart for this plane.
To a man (and woman) I have yet to hear a greatest generation vet say they were a hero. In fact they always insist that they were just normal people doing a job. It is a testament to their character that after the war they rejoined the world and went on with their lives. For many, machines such as this represent their youth; both the adventure and the sacrifice. To paraphrase the title of the old movie, they were "The best years of their lives". A thanks to all who served and sacrificed.
Cool video, of course he was probably about 19 or 20 when he was bailing out. What a good young man to help out this nation!
Thanks Barney!!!
Thank You Kermit & Guidance for putting that together for that gentleman. Awesome job :-).
Last flyable B26. A few others exist but they are rare.
A person like me can truly appreciate this video as my family has served this great nation since the days of the Revolutionary War and in all 5 branches of our military. If any Americans watch this and share a similar legacy of service they to can understand how much our veterans mean to our country. I also ask that there be no more dislikes to this amazing veteran's story and to this video!
You are so right sir , it makes me sick for people to disrespect our veterans!
These guys really were the Greatest Generation.
Mr. Wasowicz, nothing said now can express the gratitude of this Nation for your Service as a Pilot, and the sacrifice as a POW. You, your Crew and all the Men and Women that served at that time, more than lived up to the name, The Greatest Generation. THANK YOU, Sir!!!
Thank you for your service and the rest of the greatest generation that we've ever seen. He looks great for 91.
My uncle James, my Mom's youngest brother, died while learning to fly the then "Widower Maker" at the air station in Pensacola. His cousin, Shannon (my cousin too), who was stringing wire on telephone poles saw the plane go down. Shannon personally recalled his immediate thought to me as he watched the plane crash: "That poor sap," Shannon said. Later he learned it was his cousin, James who perished.
Thankfully, the plane was re-designed/beefed up, and went on to earn it's rightful place in aviation history.
God bless you Uncle James. Wish I had a chance to get to know you.
My cousin James Glattly went down in a B-26 at McDill Airfield also. One a day in Tampa Bay they said. As so many died learing to fly that thing. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Words can not express our gratitude to Barney Wasowicz, Guidance Aviation, and John Stonecipher...
Those 5 dislikes prove there is real scum out there ... so sad.
There nazi's
nazi's and pussies
Seriously?? Americans always get a hard dick when someone uses the word hero and in the US everything is a hero. It's hilarious really. And never does a US soldier tell the true story about how US troops left heavily outnumbered coalition forces to fend for themselves and raced away as hard as they could, because they were a bunch of fucking pussys. Hero's.. are you kidding me?
@@spacedigger fuck you shitdigger
@@spacedigger I think I know who the pussy is here, and it ain't Mr. W ( to whom I send my sincerest thanks for this - and his mates - service.
My Father Flew Her and Survived !!
Still have His DFC.
"And all the Stories" !!
Thanks
Tem
tembuck2 My Dad too, thank God! And
I treasure each day.
You guy's made a old man happy! Thanks, God bless!
My grandmother help built everyone of the B-26 ever built. Thank you for this video.
This dude is sharp as a tack
Thank you Sir,
for service to your home land, answering the call and going in harms way, at a time of great turmoil.
Never forgotten.
Bill B.
The B26 was nicknamed "The widow maker" by ground and aircrew alike. I always thought that was because it made lots of Axis women into widows. It turns out that the truth is a lot more macabre. The reason for the nickname was because of the number of allied aircrew that died flying in them.The B26 had a very high wing load in order to fit the massive radial engines that powered it. The result of this was that the only factor that kept the plane flying was its fast speed. If a pilot throttled down the engines (in order to land for instance) the B26 immediately turned into a brick. She was very unforgiving in that respect and the accident rate in it's early career was horrendous. B26 pilots were eventually put on a special course in order to learn how to avoid accidents. Example of which was to land very fast and avoid certain turns while in the air. Once trained, the survival rate of the crews improved to the point that it became one of the more survivable aircraft in the allied air force.
MrOrmesby i live near the old former Glenn L Martin factory where these were built, they have a museum now and they had another former B26 pilot there visiting and i got to talk to him, he said they were extremely dangerous to land do to their design they had to touch down at over 150mph, they had a high stall speed as you know he told me he once stalled above the runway and shoved the landing gear spars right thru the wings, and he laughed about it
It was also nicknamed “ The Baltimore Whore “ because it had no visible means of support.
Campion my grandpa flew these and he told my dad they had as saying at training camp in Tampa bay Florida
“One a day in Tampa bay”
The crash rate in the early days was horrific. After replacing engines and increasing span of the wings，the flying properties B-26 were greatly improved，and squadron using B-26 had very low combat loss rate in the European theatre
@@SUPRAMIKE18 Hi, The landing speed was fast but it was more like 105 to 110.
Seeing this as a disabled veteran, an army corps of engineers veteran, reminds me of the very inspiration I got to join the military. God bless your soul sir! I only wish my grandfather could have re-boarded his Fletcher class destroyer as you re-boarded your girl-You Outstanding and Exemplary Men and Women who had fought the utterly unknown impossibility of non-technological warfare(when war was war)and still make it back home able to wear that smile and share this glimpse in time should be a lesson for us all In these trying times.God bless you, and all of the other veterans out there who paved the road for all of us and our freedom’s! God bless America and God speed
I have never had the privilage to see a WW2 aircraft.I have done research on US Bases in my country and I discovered that a B 26 had crash in the sea near Rocky Point about 20 miles from my home town.I made an attemp to find it but a piece of it was found in 30 ft of waterby a diver.I still have it in my possession.Thank you Barney for sharing.Great story
I hope you one day get the opportunity to see them in person, because there is no real comparison to the real McCoy. These planes are and will forever be (inter)national treasures, and the unique sounds they all make are glorious.
@@SOMeDoOD1992 My chances look slim but I still look forward to that.
Greatest respect to this man. Not only did he survive 16 months as a PoW, No, he even gets on the plane that if you think about it brought him in the situation and remembers the callsign and smiles. I pull my hat off in front of this man
Thank you Garden Aviation for a remarkable and heart warming story..and thank you sir..for your service, courage, and sacrifice...I salute you honorably.
I love these types of stories! There's a reason why they are called the greatest generation.
Great story Mr. Wasowicz and a wonderful delivery of it.! I saw it all happening in my mind as you described it, like reading a book. Thank you for your service Sir to the USA, in an endeavor that brought peace and freedom to hundreds of millions!
How proud would you be to call this Man Dad or Granfather.
Humble and respectfull only thinking of his fellow POw 's
Were would we be wothout men like him. Thank you seems so petty and small a thing to say for what that generation endured.
Nothing but respect and admiration for Him.
God bless them all
Lest we forget.
This was a real tear jerker for me to watch. I will be 66 in June 2019 and my Father would have been 101. Dad was a radio operator in a Martin B-26 Maurader called "The Dusty Devil". Dad was also a waist gunner of the twin 50 Calibur machine guns when needed. He talked alot about this aircraft. He told me as a young man that the pilot took the plane fully loaded down next to the runway at 40 MPH only to the beginning of the runway to turn the bomber at that speed to turn around careful not to lose speed to go full throttle as far as He could go and then pull back on the yoke and go airborne. What a thrill that might have been. Jimmy Dolittle was not afraid of this aircraft and He gave a demonstration of this plane by taking off and cutting one engine off on take off and doing a 360' degree turn around the airfield to yet land that B-26 . He encouraged over 100 pilots that day to fly that bomber. I just happened to see this by God,s Providence and I thank this organisation for this timely production. God bless all of you.
I’m so happy that it’s being restored to flying condition and an awesome time show her to to him
I’m not crying. Just got something in my eye.
My heart goes out to those brave men and women that gave there lives for us to live and for me to be able to make this comment
NEVER FORGET !
Great story. Nice to see Mr. Wasowizc reunited with a B-26 aircraft. We need to see more videos like this which honour these old veterans. They're not many left. Thanks for sharing.
Very cool, Kermit Weeks has done a fabulous job with the museum. Good to see that.
@@flightforensics4523 Sounds like someone's jealous of "MR MONEY BAGS"
Ninjas cutting onions in my apartment again...
+Brum hild "Ninjas cutting onions" I am SO stealing that phrase! :-D
Corrie Bergeron Go ahead, I guess i've stolen it from somewhere else! :)
Damn Ninjas are here now.............
same over here
@@CorrieBergeron Hate when that happens, those damn Ninjas!
All i can say is thank you for all you have done for your country and to our military .. I love you and thank you for your valor .. Thomas Sodoski
Thank you Guidance Aviation, for treating that true HERO the dignity and honor that he deserved.
Great! Lest we not forget those brave men to which we owe so much.
Sir you were the finest your generated produced, your generation was the greatest generation, you saved MY world. If not for your sacrifice I and my generation would not have these freedoms you died to give us. You are a hero Thank you for all you did.
Thank you for your service sir. What an honor to have heard this story. And I am so happy to hear that we’re reunited with your aircraft that had to be a tremendous feeling you cannot describe to anyone. I salute you and I thank you once again.
We owe these WW2 vets SO much!!....Truly the Finest Generation of Americans....I salute you all...living and gone...Salute!!...My Mom built b25s, b26s, and B29s for Glenn Martin...also incendiary bombs...them hexagonal shaped ones
I'm amazed by how humble he is. What a remarkable man!
Barney's story was so moving. Thank you for sharing this. My father in law was a tail gunner in WW II as a tail gunner in a Marauder. His stories could fill a book. I want to get into one of these Marauders and especially see the tail gunner section. I want to see the view he had to go with so many stories he shared. So glad there's a least one of these planes being kept safe.
you guys gave this 91 year old the gift of his youth to him he well injoy it the rest of his days god bless you!
Mr. Wasowicz, YOU ARE TRULY A HERO IN MY EYES. YOU WERE IN THE MILITARY WHEN MEN WERE MEN, NOT THE SCOUT TROOPS OF TODAY IN MANY CASES. GOD BLESS YOU SIR AND YOUR FAMILY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICES. AS A MARINE, LET ME SAY SEMPER FIDELIS SIR!!
God bless all the brave men like him. Whatever happened to America?
Seeing this brought many tears to my eyes. My Uncle Victor Galvan Corona, age 22, was Mia along with the crew of their B26 over N. Korea on July 22, 1952. I was last of his ( nephews age 6) to see him alive at Lowry AFB in Colorado in the winter of 1952. I remember my Uncle taking me on a cold wintry afternoon to see the flight line of the B 26 bombers. What a sight to behold and always cherish. He and his crew are still MIA/KIA, after 64 years.With the help of the USAF, Dept, of Defense and DPAA, progress moves ahead in identifying remains and excavations efforts in North Korea, will hopefully resume again in 2017. I will always be eternally grateful to all of our war veterans that served our country and so many that gave their lives in the defense of America and freedom. Thank you Mr. Barney Wasowicz. God bless you and your family.
Thanks so very much, for not only what you did, for Mr. Wasowicz, but for sharing it with us all.
I live just a 25min car drive from Fantasy of Flight. I have several pictures of this B-26 and the rest of the collection there. I am an aviation fan to the bone. I served in the US Army '96-'03 as an Army Aviator working on helicopters. I have been out for more years than I was in now, and when I see a video like this, I tear up, because I understand what he is saying when he said, "It's been 71 years since I was last in the cockpit but it was just like being home". I don't claim to have done anything great while I was in but, I did enjoy my time unlike a good many others. I miss the aircraft, I miss the people but, I don't miss the Army. I applaud the effort of this organization to reunite this member of the "Greatest Generation" with another of his mounts. Thank you for your service sir, I hope you are still alive at the time of this post, however, I, feel you may have already flown west, and if so, God speed, calm air, and blue skies.
Thank you Sir! I'm so happy you got to be reacquainted with the B-26 again. We can only imagine the feelings and memories of being reunited with the great plane that you flew in combat. A special bond that few can appreciate. What an incredible video and thanks to everyone that made it possible.
Wonderful man. I am so glad he had the chance to see his beloved B26. My dad was a navigator in a B26.
I feel so very blessed to have been born in such a great nation that has had men like Mr. Wasowicz that have been so willing to make her that way. God bless all the brave men and women both past and present that served in the United States Military. You are loved and appreciated for your service and sacrifice and will never be forgotten.
Awesome story and a perfect showing of respect for a true American hero
These guys had such balls, and when they say "dont call me a hero" its not just them being humble. I have no doubt that they're sincere and dont look at themselves as such, just as doing what had to be done.
Truly the greatest generation. Made me cry, Thank you for all you have done.
GOD BLESS Barney for all we endured. Happy to see the smile on his face when he saw his old girl. Congrats to everyone who helped make this dream come alive for this man.
Thank you for this video and thanks for helping this man to see his bird again.
You are a Hero thank you for your service. God bless you and Family AMEN !
Damn right of you to honor these few remaining vets who really were heroes for what they had to do to defeat tyranny. It should be inspiration for the rest of us to work to protect our democracy from enemies, foreign and domestic.
What a guy. I could listen to him all day. God bless you, sir. Thank you for your service.
Thank you all for doing this for this man and all of us Vets no matter the time we shared in wars, we all are brothers and sisters.
That was nice to hear from someone who flew in World War ll. Soon there will be only a few left. Think the young children should learn about our countries history from a real hero.
A Pilot & His Home In The Air.......(Salute) Sir thank you for defending this great nation and coming home....if those wings could talk the stories she could tell ...
What a beautiful story. This restores my faith in humanity. We owe so much to that generation ❤
a real hero.... it is of the utmost importance that we teach our new generation of these men and what they did for this world. they are fading fast: take the time to speak with them, take the time to learn from them. God bless you all.
This is one very touching story Mr. Wasowicz. God Bless you and all those men who risked their lives fighting for freedom.
Excellent story. It takes good people to do things like this.
Great to see this guy go for a stroll through his past, and that at 90, he was spry enough to really enjoy it all
From The Free World, Thank You very much for Your service Barney ❤🇺🇸
I have been to Fantasy of Flight and remember the B-26, among others. I didn't realize it is the only one left intact in the country. Kermit and crew do a fantastic job. Especially, thank you, Mr. Wasowicz.
This was an extremely positive and powerful video that was clearly professionally produced. I am a cinematographer, aerial videographer, Aeronautical Scientist, and a Veteran of the USAF/KY Air National Guard. I am so pleased that you not only shared this video with us, but that you invested the time to make sure the events/flights took place. It was respectful to all Veterans that you told the stories detailed in this illuminating video.
I appreciated the good sound quality, the thoughtful and appropriate music, and it absolutely leave the audience with tears in our eyes and warmth in our heart that you make sure to honor this Veteran.
Best wishes,
Hon. Brennan James Callan, Col.
Great vid!! You are so nice to bring some joy to these men. So many of these great gentlemen leaving us these days. Just buried my friend. B-17 pilot, 8th AAF. 30 missions over Nazi Germany. He also served in Korea and Viet Nam. My dad (93 years old) is still with us. B-29 Flight Engineer Pacific Theater. We all owe so much to these (and all who serve) brave men on women!
It's a beautiful thing those folks did for him! God bless you all involved. Barney, God bless you sir and thank you for your service to this One Nation under God!
You guys are tremendous to do that for an old vet who gave so much for his country. He gave his todays for our tomorrows. Thumbs up. He can die a happy man!
What a tribute! Thank you so much for your service to our country.
This brought me to tears. God bless all who did this for one of the greatest generation. My father was one, and I lost him in 1989... I miss him so very much.
Even if you never saw combat and even if you didn’t join the military and help make things your my friend, are a hero.
My respects to the people who can show their respect for their elders, who lived so many harsh things, none of us have any idea about what terrible experiences they were. What a great video.
You are one awesome gentleman sir!!
Thank you !!
❤
This was beautiful. Thank you to Guidance Aviation for doing such an honorable thing. My Dad was a radio operator and belly gunner in a b26. He left this world 25 years ago, but watching this made it feel like a reunion of sorts. It would've been nice to see this plane with him, but perhaps I'll have to make the trip down from Pennsylvania to see it. Watching this was emotional for me so I can't even imagine how incredible it would be to see it in person. Thanks again for sharing this and for the beautiful gesture to one of America's finest!
He may not feel like a hero, but that is exactly what he and others of his generation who fought in WW2, giving us the world we live in today are. They are all heros to me. God bless him and the others who did or did not make it.
It warms my heart to watch these videos, it reminds me that there are a lot of great and caring people out there. I wish I was in a position to contribute and help. I have a special love for veterans be they Aussie's, Yanks, Kiwis or Poms.
I love to hear people doing this for vets. The stories are priceless. Unfortunately my great grandpa didn't tell any stories of the war but i still feel like there are people who still remember them and it makes me want to find people that know them to hear their side of the story.
His generation rose to the challenge. He is a superhero. So brave, so humble.
Awesome gesture to treat a hero to an opportunity to go back and touch the past. So amazing and emotional, this is what this country is all about. I wish people could feel the pride I felt when i saw this man and this machine, representatives of our great nation who were willing to give all for freedom. God bless, him the men who made the trip possible and the United States of America Thanks for sharing.
Those guys are not old they are just young boys in old bodies, what an amazing generation, so sad there aren’t many of em’ left